Automatic mail box



, 301927 -1 H. scHAFER 641098 AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX.

Filed Dec. 17. 1926 OUT HNGMAIL MAIL A TTORNE Y.

ZMD.

Patented I Aug. 30, 1927.

NITsoSTATas 1,641,098 PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS :I-IENR'YJSCHAFER, or NEW ORLEANS, LOTFIISIANA.

AUTOMATIC MAIL BOX.

Application filed December 17, 1926. SerialNo. 155,479.

cally discharged,thereby saving time on the part. of the mail ocarriergboth cin the collection and-delivery of mail matter to a house or .other edifice, thedevice being of novel forms to, have the same readily accessibleboth tothe occupantsof the house or edifice and to the mail carrier.)- 1 I Anotherobject of the invention vision of a device of this character, wherein mail can-be conveniently and easily delivered'byv a carrier, to the interior vof the house or edifice. and the outgoing mail automatically discharged for its collection by such carrier, thuseliminating double duty on the part ofsaid carrier. 7 p g A furtherobject of the invention is the provision :of -.a device. of this character wherein the sameis water ti'ght, wind-tight, ornamental, indestructible, automatic, absolutely safe and will assure the reception and delivery of mail, iboth' incomingand out: goingvmail matter, with dispatch, thereby relieving the mailcarrier from excessive or double duty in the mail matter. r

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicientin its purpose, strong, durable, neat and attractive in appearance, and inexpensive to manufacture andinstall. 4 7 I, g V

With theseand other Objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will .be hereinafter more fully de scribed; illustrated in p the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in theclaims hereunto appended. i g

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation, showing fragmentarily the'outer wall of a building, with the mail box constructed in accordance with the invention installed Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2of'Figure1 looking i ithe direction of the arrow. 1,

s he P e reception and delivery of Figure 3-is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. v

' Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing. 7

Referring to the drawing in detail A deslgnates generally a port-ion of the outer wall of a building or other edifice, which may be of any conventional form'and B the inner wall, which is spaced from said outer wall as usual and also may be'of any well known construction; Formed in" the outer and inner walls A and B are suitable openings to accommodate the mail box or device constituting the present invention,

which will be. hereinafter more fully described.

The mail box or device comprises an Outer plate, in the form of an escutcheon plate 5 having a marginal 'fiange 6' constituting a frame adapted to be set in the opening in the outer wall A, to completely occupy such opening which is correspondingly shaped to the frame 6. This frame 6'is made fast in the opening in any suitable manner. Formed in the plate 5 transversely thereof are super posed elongated upper and lower slots 7 and 8,1'espectively. Leading through the inner wall tothe upper slot 7 is an outwardly inclined maildelivery chute 9, which can be of any approved type, so that mail matter delivered or'deposited in' the said chute from withinthe building or edifice will be caused to gravitate to the slot 7 in theplate 5 and discharge outwardly therefrom without the building or edifice.

Leading from the lower slot 8 inclined inwardiy and extending through the inner 7 wall B is a lower chute 10 so that mail matter introduced through the lower slot 8 in the plate ,5 will pass through the chute 1O downwardly and be discharged within the building or edifice. About the inner or open ends of-these chutes 9 and 10 and suitably secured to the inner wall B are slotted face plates 11, theseibeing in the form of escutcheon plates. V

Normally closing the slots 7 and 8 are the upper and'lower doorsor louvers 12 and 13, respectively, the upper door or louver being formed at opposite ends withcam wings 14' in which are engaged pintles or pivots 15,

,these also being I engaged in brackets 16 the slot 8 in said plate 5.

door l2 has on its outer face suitable indicia 16 indicative of outgoing mail. The cam ears ll at their upper portions are extended beyond the door 12 to constitute stops lb to abut the inner face of the plate 5 so as to limit the closing movement of said door 12 as will be clearly apparent in Figure 52 ot the drawing.

l ormed on the lower door 1 3 at opposite ends thereof are weight ribs 19, and passed. through suitable cars 19' between these, :llltilfilllfi top edge of the door is a pivot 20 which is also passed through brackets Bl extending inwardly from the plate (3 and in this manner the said door 13 is eccentrically pivoted for swinging movement to open inwardly of the chute and to gravitate to normally closed position for closing The ribs 19 are extended to provide tripping arms 32 arranged in the path of the cams 1-1, so that on the opening of the door 1b the arms will act upon the cams let to cause the door 12 to automatically open and thereby discharge outgoing mail from the chute 9, when incoming mail is deposited through the slot 8 on opening the door 12 into thechute 10 for the delivery 01' such incoming mail to the interior of the building or edifice.

It will be apparent that to permit the dis charge of outgoing mail from the chute 9 the lower door 13 can be pushed inwardly, causing the upper door 12 to automatically swingoutwardly for the discharge of mail matter from said chute 9 and the incoming mail can be conveniently deposited through the lower slot 8 into the chute 10 to be delivered within the building or edifice.

Surrounding the pivot 20 hanging the lower door is a coiled tension spring which has one end playing against the door 13 and its other end against the plate, so that in this manner the said door retained positively closed or in other words is held under tension as will be clearly obvious.

From the foregoing it is thought that the coilstruction and manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted.

What is claimed is z- 1. The combination with a pair of reversely disposed chutes adapted to be confined within a wall of a building and opening within and without the same, of: a slotted plate adapted to be mounted on the outer face of the all of said building and having a pair of slots communiaiting with said chutes, superposed, oppositely movable doors swingingly supported upon said plate and normally closing the slots therein, and

means on said doors to coact with each other to cil'ect the swinging outwardly of one door on the inward manual swinging otthe other door, the said means on one door being free oi? connection with the said means on the other door.

2. The combination with a pair of reverscly disposed chutes adapted to be confined within a wall ot a building and openin g within and without the same, of a slotted plate mounted on the outer face of the wall oi said building and having a slot communicating with each of saidchutes, doors swing ingly supported upon said plate and normally closing the slots therein, said doors arranged in superposed relation and oppositely movable with respect to each other, means on said doors to coact with each other to effect the swiiigiiig outwardly of one door on the inward manual swinging oi the other door, said means on one door being free of connection with the means on the other door, and means eccentrically supporting said doors to effect the gravitation thereof to closing position.

The combination with a pair of reversely disposed chutes adapted to be o0nfined within a wall of a building and opening within and without the same, of a slotted plate mounted on theouter face of the wall of said building and having superposed slots communicating with said chutes, superposed, oppositely movable doors swingingly supported upon said plate and normally closing the slots therein, means on said doors to court with eachother toell'ect the swing ing outwardly of one door on the inward manual swinging of the other door, the said means on one 01' said doors being free of connection with the said nieans on the other of said doors, means eccentric-ally supporting said doors to effect the gravitation thereof to closing position, and weight means on the inwardly swinging door.

4;. The combination with a pair of oppositely extending chutes adapted to be conlined in a support and opening within and without the latter, oi a slotted plate mounted against the outer face of said support and having a pair of superposed slots communieating with said chutes, superposed, oppo sitely movable doors supported from said plate, one of said doors normally arranged within one of said slots to close the same and the other of said doors normally arranged against the inner face of said plate for closing the other of said slots, said doors having inwardly extemling means free of connect-ion with and co-acting with each other to effect the swinging outwardly of one door on the inward manual swinging of the other door, and means to provide for the gravitation of the doors to closing position.

5. The combination with a pair of oppositely extending chutes adapted to. be mounted withinv a support therefor and opening Within and without the support, of a plate secured to the outer face of the support and provided with a pair of superposed slots communicating with said chutes, superposed, oppositely movable doors swingingly supported from said plate, one of said doors normally arranged in one of said slots for closing it and the other of said doors normally arranged against the inner face of said plate for closing the other of said slots,

of said doors, and weight means arranged on the inner face of the other of said doors and provided with tripping arms, said cam members and tripping arms coacting to effect the swinging outwardly of one door on the inward manual swinging of the other door. In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature hereto.

LOUIS HENRY scHAFER. 

